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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29549424">Order in Decline</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireThatFox/pseuds/FireThatFox'>FireThatFox</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Japanese Folklore, Myths and legends [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Enigmatic Indra, F/M, Half demon half lost soul Indra, Indra doesn't understand technology, Modern AU, Modern day Priestess, Saving Indra, exorcising Indra, myths and legends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:15:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,069</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29549424</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireThatFox/pseuds/FireThatFox</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A grudge as ancient as the art used to contain it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haruno Sakura &amp; Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura &amp; Ootsutsuki Indra, Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura/Ootsutsuki Indra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Japanese Folklore, Myths and legends [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870282</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>There are countless myths and legends, many of which overlap one another, about possessed mirrors, vessels of reflection and other inanimate objects that can transfer imaging to the naked eye.</p><p>The most popular version of Ungaikyō is a haunted mirror which shows demons and monsters reflected in its surface.  However, some believe the spirit which haunts the mirror or object, can manipulate the reflection and cause it to appear as anything they like depending on who is looking into or at the vessel of reflection.</p><p>Some legends tell of skilled hoshi, priests, who used mirrors blessed by buddha to trap evil spirits or demons in them.  Purified them and vanquished them to hell.  If the hoshi, or priest wasn’t clean or spiritually powerful enough, the mirror trapped the soul of the hoshi within the confines of the vessel daming them for eternity.</p><p>I’ve taken all of these myths and legends about Ungaikyo and made something of my own, picking and choosing which aspects of the tales I find most intriguing to entertain my own selfish desires.</p><p>I hope you enjoy reading my spin on an old myth as much as I enjoyed writing it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Be careful Sakura.”</p><p>Sakura whirled around on her heels.  Her mother was standing in the doorway of her grandmother’s bedroom, a soft smile on her face as she looked at her daughter.</p><p>“Sorry mom.  I wasn’t going to break it.  I just wanted to look at it.”  Sakura set the silver mirror back down on the ancient wooden kyodai and took a respectful step back and away from the beautifully handcrafted mirror.</p><p>“I wasn’t saying you couldn’t look at it, Sakura.  I only want to make sure you are careful with it.  It has been in our family for centuries you know.”  Her mother walked into the room, stepped up to her mother’s kyodai and picked up the mirror in her left hand.</p><p>Sakura watched her mother’s eyes cloud over as she looked at her reflection in the hand mirror.  “Always contorted.  I suppose the metal is a bit warped, tarnished like the silver.”</p><p>“You know, I never did like this thing.”  Her mother told her.  “It’s silly of me but...when I was your age I always felt like someone was watching me from inside of it, or listening to me.  That’s why I never wanted it.  Mom tried to give it to me for my sixteenth birthday but it was just so creepy.”  Sakura’s mom laughed before setting the hand mirror back down on the kyodai’s velvet topped surface.</p><p>“The movers are almost here.  There are only a few more things we need to pack.  Dad’s waiting for me.”  Her mother turned back to her grandmother’s open bedroom door.  “The kyodai is yours Sakura.  Obaasan left it to you in her will, along with the mirror.”</p><p>Sakura’s mom hesitated as she looked back at the mirror, a look of unease in her eyes.  “You didn’t get a bad feeling from the mirror, er, when you were holding it just a moment ago did you Sakura?”  Her mother asked her hesitantly.</p><p>Sakura looked back at the mirror resting harmlessly on the velvet and shook her head.  “No Okaasan.”</p><p>“Silly of me, sorry dear it’s nothing.”  Her mother bit her bottom lip, her eyes darting back to the mirror.  “I’m being silly.”  She laughed to herself as she left the room, leaving Sakura alone with her grandmother’s old futon, the kyodai and the mirror.</p><p>Sakura moved back to the mirror, picking it up with both of her hands very carefully.  “Obaasan left Indra to me?”</p><p>The mirror was cool in her hand, the silver glinting in the sunlight that shone through the window, illuminating it’s reflective surface as Sakura turned it over in her hand.</p><p>“Indra.”  Sakura traced her finger down the side of the ornate ancient mirror and sighed.  “You’re finally mine, just like she promised.”</p><p>Sakura bowed her head to the kyodai in respect, the mirror held in front of her between her fingers and palms.  “Thank you Obaasan, I promise to take care of Indra for you.”</p><p>
  <em>“Obaasan!  Obaasan!  We’re here Obaasan!”  Sakura tore around the corner of the room as quickly as her little legs could carry her and ran smack into her grandmother's open arms and chest.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sakura’s grandmother gathered the little girl in her arms, picked her up and sat back down at her Lady’s table, and her kyodai.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“So nice to see you little blossom, my my you’re getting so big.”  Sakura grinned up at her grandmother and smiled a toothless smile at her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I lost my meeth!”  Sakura pointed to her two front teeth that were missing.  “See?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh my!”  Her grandmother exclaimed.  “I do see, how exciting!  Shall we show Indra?  I’m sure he would like to see how much you’ve grown.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes yes!”  Sakura exclaimed, reaching for the mirror on her grandmother’s vanity.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Allow me my dear.  Indra would be very displeased if we dropped him.  He would never break of course, impossible.”  Her grandmother chuckled as she lifted her mirror from its velvet and held it in front of her granddaughter’s face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Impossible?”  Sakura took the offered mirror firmly in her hands and looked at her reflection, smiling widely.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Indra, is a special mirror my dear.  Unbreakable.”  Her grandmother whispered to her confidentially.  “Indra, is a magical mirror.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Like in the myths, is he a legend?”  Sakura’s eyes widened as she stared at her unwavering reflection in the silver mirror her grandmother referred to as Indra.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh yes my dear girl, he is a legend indeed, one of the first ever told.  Would you like to hear it?”  Sakura’s grandmother asked her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Please!”  Sakura nodded her head vigorously, her little hands still clutching the mirror, her green eyes still looking at her wispy, pink haired reflection.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Then I will tell you.  Let’s see where to begin, good gracious.”  The old woman tapped her fingers against her lips in contemplation.  “There once was a man, a legend of his own time, called Hagoromo Otsutsuki and his mother, was the mother of all chakra.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hagoromo had two sons.  The youngest son was named Asura and the eldest, Indra.”  Sakura’s grandmother began the tale of how Indra, the mirror, came to be.  “Indra was powerful, very powerful.  You recall my tales of shinobi and jutsu don’t you my dear?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sakura nodded, her lips parted in interest and delight.  She loved the stories her grandmother told her of the feudal era, and beyond, the days of chakra and kunoichi.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Good, good.  Indra and Asura, the two sons of Hagoromo, also known as the Sage of Six Paths, were born with the ability to use chakra like their father.”  Her grandmother shifted Sakura more comfortably in her lap and took the mirror from her small unresisting hands and set it back atop its velvet resting place for safe keeping.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Indra was without a doubt the stronger chakra wielder than his younger brother from a very young age.  While both of the sons learned the art of what he called ninshu from their father, Indra began showing his ingenious side, realizing how chakra could be altered to perform more versatile feats. Soon afterwards, the other Ninshu followers learned from Indra's example and began using this new innovation to improve the quality of life for both themselves and the village.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Everyone, even Asura was sure that their father would name Indra his heir, but he didn’t.  After giving both of his son’s a test, he chose Asura, his second born and seemingly less talented son.  You see, Hagoromo was a wise man.  He knew the differences in his sons, their strengths and their weaknesses.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“To his sons he gave the task of aiding the revival of a foreign land, which both sons were able to do.  While Indra accomplished his task alone, Asura had gained the assistance of the villagers in the foreign land to complete his task, and while Indra returned home alone, Asura brought many of the grateful villagers home with him who had chosen to follow him out of loyalty and love.  Ultimately it was that love of the foreigners that swayed Hagoromo to choose Asura to be his successor.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“This infuriated Indra, who clearly thought himself the more deserving out of the two, to replace their father as leader of both their village and the Master of ninshu.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sakura gasped and squirmed on her grandmother’s lap.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes.  Indra was humiliated and furious and with his followers, he left the village only to return, to destroy it.  They fought.  Indra and Asura.  Asura won and Indra never forgave him for it.”  Sakura’s grandmother told her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Won?  How did he win?  Did he, um, did he kill Indra?”  Sakura looked at the mirror, pity in her eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No, it was far worse a fate Asura imposed upon his brother.”  The old woman’s eyes fell over the silver mirror.  “Asura sealed him into that mirror using the power of the Sage of Six Paths.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“He was a sage like, like his father?  Like Hagoromo?”  Sakura asked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“...but.”  Sakura began.  “I thought he was stronger and more talented than Asura?”  She didn’t understand.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s true.  Indra was far more skilled and superior in the art of ninshu than Asura was but there was one thing Asura had that Indra didn’t.  Do you know what that was, little blossom?”  The old woman asked her granddaughter.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sakura pursed her lips in thought.  Her eyes scrunched up, then crinkled into little green dancing half moons as she realized what it was.  “Love.”  She smiled up at her grandmother.  “Asura had love in his heart, whereas Indra had none.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes.”  The old woman smiled sadly.  “I’ve often wondered you know, if it would have been different if Indra had love in his heart instead of contempt and jealousy for his brother.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The little girl leaned forward and placed both of her hands on top of the silver mirror and smiled over her shoulder at her grandmother.  “I’ll love him.  I’ll love Indra so he doesn’t have to be alone anymore.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The old woman gasped and pulled her granddaughter back and away from the mirror.  “Sakura.”  Sakura’s grandmother swallowed hard, her arms wrapping around her beloved granddaughter tightly.  “You, you shouldn’t have done that.  You shouldn’t make promises you might not be able to keep.”</em>
</p><p>Sakura laid the mirror back on the velvet.  It had been twelve years since her grandmother had told her the story of Indra and how his brother Asura had sealed his soul into the mirror, the mirror that laid peacefully on her grandmother kyodai before her.  </p><p>She didn’t understand her mother.  Her reflection in the mirror had always been clear, ever since she was ten and had first laid eyes on it, had first held it in her hand.  A gentle humming filled the room and the air warmed around her.  Sakura wet her bottom lip with her tongue.  Was she imagining it?  No, it had always been like that, from the beginning.  No, from the time she promised Indra, that she would love him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm not sure how long this will be.  Legends aren't typically that long, nor are myths, but I can see this being very long if I let it.  I have a lot of open fics open right now and didn't plan on writing this.</p><p>So if you bear with me, I'll finish my open ones when inspiration hits.  It actually bothers me a tad, I hate leaving things undone, but I can't force creativity lol ~</p><p>I'm learning how to deal!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sakura closed the front door to her grandmother’s house behind her parents and leaned her back up against the door.  Her green eyes scanned the genkan.  Strange, she thought to herself as she pushed off the back of the door with a sigh.  Even if this was her house now she couldn’t quite come to think of it as hers, and not her grandmothers.</p><p>Her parents had left her most of the furniture and kitchenware taking only those few sentimental objects left to them specifically in her grandmother's will.  Sakura’s fingers ran lightly over the smooth polished wood of the traditional low cabinets in the living room.  If she concentrated hard enough she could almost hear her grandmother humming to herself in the kitchen.</p><p>Sakura turned her head to the half curtained, rounded entrance to the kitchen.  It was empty.  She chuckled to herself softly.  Of course it was.  How foolish of her.</p><p>There was so much to do, even if her parents had left her most of the household goods, there was cleaning to get done, grocery shopping to complete and yet, she didn’t want to move.  She didn’t want to ‘Settle in’, because that would mean it truly was her home now and not her grandmothers.</p><p>With a grimace and a tightening of the corners of her mouth, Sakura walked slowly up the stairs to the second floor, paused inside the shadowy doorway of her grandmother’s old room, now her room, before entering.  Kneeling before the tokonoma her grandmother had built, Sakura bowed once, then looked up at the scroll hanging on the wall.</p><p>‘Strength and Love’</p><p>
  <em>“What is more important, my little blossom, strength or love?”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What do you mean Obaasan?”  Sakura rubbed her eyes free of tears, turned and gave her grandmother a bewildered look.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“If you had to choose my dear, which one would you pick?”  Sakura’s grandmother asked her patiently.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Strength.”  Sakura frowned.  She already had too much love in her heart, a heavy heart.  She didn’t want the burden.  “Strength is more important to possess.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I wonder.”  The old woman smiled a smile that older people tended to smile at younger people, full of understanding, pity and envy.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What do you wonder, Obaasan?”  Sakura pushed her hair out of her eyes and looked at the scroll hanging on the wall of the tokonoma.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I wonder my beautiful girl, what made you lose your way, or perhaps who.”  Her grandmother had refused to say anymore on the subject no matter how much Sakura had questioned her.</em>
</p><p>Strength and Love.  Sakura’s eye burned holes into the decorative scroll before her.  There was a pain in her chest.  She had been so foolish.  Looking at the scroll now, after all that had happened she saw it much more clearly than she ever had in her younger days.</p><p>Power and Love.  That’s what the kanji meant, much more appropriate.  She understood now.  Not strength, but power.</p><p>Power is seductive.  Power is control.  Strength is misleading, strength can break but if you have power to control the strong, you have…</p><p>Obsession</p><p>The word penetrated her head like a siren.  Obsession.</p><p>A strange awareness crawled over the backs of Sakura’s hands, a warmth was building up along the curve of her neck.  She tilted her head to the side and touched her skin, her fingertips following the curve and the heat.  Sakura turned her head to the kyodai and blinked.  What energy was this?</p><p>“My imagination.”  Her lips murmured against her subconscious.  No, reality.  Fate.</p><p>“Ridiculous.”  She pushed herself up off the floor without bowing.  Definitely.  “It’s only a mirror.”</p><p>Sharp gasping pain in the back of her neck had her falling to her hands and knees.  Sakura’s head whipped around and over her shoulder where Indra sat on the velvet of her grandmother’s kyodai.  Only a mirror.  Sakura closed her eyes.  No, not again.  Please…</p><p>
  <em>“What’s so special about an old moldy mirror Sakura?”  Her best friend Ino followed Sakura down the hall of her grandmother’s home into her grandmother’s bedroom and sat on the end of her grandmother’s bed as Sakura went to the vanity to pick up the ancient silver mirror to show her friend.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s a special mirror Ino.  It’s the legendary mirror of Indra from the feudal era!”  Sakura held the mirror up in front of her chest, her eyes swimming with pride as she showed her best friend her grandmother’s most prized possession.  “Look into the mirror Ino and see for yourself.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Blue Yamanaka eyes raised to meet their reflection.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was as though time had stopped.  Sakura watched Ino’s chest rise, but not fall.  She watched as Ino’s lips moved, but no words came out, then she stepped back in shock and concern when Ino began to scream and claw at her own face with her nails in horror.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Ino!  Ino!”  Sakura quickly set Indra back in his honored place on her grandmother’s kyodai before grabbing her friend by the shoulders, shaking her to get her attention, to draw her out of whatever had scared her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m sorry!  I’m sorry!”  Ino screamed and cried and pleaded.  “Forgive me!  I’m sorry!”  Ino shook her head back and forth over and over until it fell out of her ponytail, tangling at the sides of her face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Ino!  Ino please, what happened?”  Sakura began to cry, as her grandmother ran into the room.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Sakura, what have you done?  I told you, never, never show anyone their reflection in Indra, no one who is not related to us by blood my dear, only blood.”  Sakura’s grandmother hugged Ino to her bosom and began to chant, over and over until the blonde collapsed, quiet and exhausted in the old woman’s arms.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Obaasan, forgive me.”  Sakura hung her head in shame as her grandmother tucked Ino into her own futon, a pot of blessed incense burning by the girl’s head to ward off evil spirits.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Ino will be fine when she wakes.  She won’t remember any of this, Indra, what she saw in the mirror, or anything that happened and you will not tell her.”  Her grandmother gave her that signature look of infinite patience.  “For both your sakes, do you understand my girl?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes Obaasan.  I understand.”  Sakura bowed her head obediently.  She didn’t understand.  What had Ino seen in the mirror, why could only blood relatives look into the mirror and why, why couldn’t she tell Ino what had happened?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Are you sure Ino will be okay Baasan?  Shouldn’t we get a priest?”  Sakura hesitated to ask such a thing of her grandmother who was herself, a priestess, retired.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“There is nothing a priest can do for such a thing.  There is no one alive today that can even come close to the strength of Asura anymore.”  Her grandmother replied.  “Only a sage can control Indra.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Control?”  Sakura’s eyes darted to the tokonoma at the other end of the room.  “Strength.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The old woman’s eyes flashed momentarily, a hint of red bled away and faded from the corners as she calmed herself.  “Love.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Again, Sakura nodded obediently at her grandmother and bowed her head.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Sit with Ino.  Come get me when she wakes.  There is a charm she will need.  It takes time to prepare.”  With that, her grandmother rose from her position beside her bed, laid one warm gnarled hand over Ino’s head, her lips moving in silent prayer, then rose and left the room.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sakura continued to kneel on her pillow beside her friend.  ‘Only a sage can control Indra.’  Her grandmother spoke of Indra as though he were still alive.  ‘Asura sealed Indra into the mirror.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sakura slowly turned her head to the scroll hanging on the wall above the raised platform, her eyes widening as she realized...some legends were real.</em>
</p><p>She had only been thirteen when she realized some of the stories her grandmother had told her over the years weren’t all figmental.  She had wondered what others were real.  The next day, she started her training, to be a priestess under her grandmother’s tutelage.</p><p>Now, nine years later Sakura was not only a modern day priestess but a doctor of medicine.  She found the two professions complimented one another and suited her quite well.  Once again her eyes traveled over the scroll, like so many times in her youth.</p><p>Power and love.  Balance.  “How harmonious.”  Sakura murmured to herself, rising to her feet and walking out of the room.</p>
  </div></div>
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